Miraculous: Darkness Acending
by Mr. Spinner
Summary: Frustrated with his failing akumas, Hawk Moth discovers a new power of the Moth Miraculous. Lila hates Ladybug and will do anything to bring her down. Armed with new knowledge and a bond of hatred, will Paris's greatest threat finally achieve what he has striven so long for? Rated 'T' to be safe. R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

As dusk settled upon the Paris, the ancient city breathed a sigh of relief. Another day passed, another akuma defeated and cleansed by the beloved Ladybug and Chat Noir, another swarm of glittering magic ladybugs that repaired the great city. The people were safe, once more, from the clutches of the dreaded terrorist Hawk Moth.

In a dimly-lit urban apartment near the center of the city, the opinion on the day was much, much different. Within the loft emerged a whorl of dark, nearly black, purple mist. In a heartbeat, the mist drifted into nothingness to reveal a person.

In the middle of the loft stood a tall man dressed in a purple dress shirt with a prominent butterfly-like lapel and black slacks, with silver gloves and black dress shoes. In the center of his collar was a butterfly-shaped brooch. But the most striking part of him was the silvery mask that covered his face, leaving only his eyes and mouth visible.

This was Hawk Moth.

Hawk Moth sighed through gritted teeth and released his transformation in a pulse of purple-pink sparks, allowing the kwami of the Moth Brooch to emerge. The kwami, Nooroo, drifted exhaustedly to a table and collapsed, his wings drooping. And yet, even as tired as he was, the kwami couldn't relax. Not when he knew what was coming.

After a few moments of tense waiting, his prediction came true. Hawk Moth, his visage obscured by the night, grabbed a table and threw it across the room in an impressive display of strength. His anger indulged for the moment, Hawk Moth settled and allowed his fury to simmer, to turn from burning heat to chilling cold. The cold fury of a true mastermind.

"Yet again," Hawk Moth muttered intensely, "Ladybug and Chat Noir have foiled my akuma." True, the victim hadn't resolved her grudge, but at the moment it was small reward for yet another failure. "This method is not working," he grudgingly admitted, the words burning his pride. But it was the truth.

The number of akuma he had thrown at the so-called heroes was approaching a full hundred. Nearly a hundred attempts, and none had succeeded. True, some had come close; oh so close. But in the end it was all the same: failure. Hawk moth idly considered a famous quote of Albert Einstein: "Insanity is attempting the same action over and over and expecting different results." His akuma clearly weren't getting the job done.

"There has to be something else," Hawk Moth whispered, "something I'm missing." A faint gasp caught his attention and he flicked his gaze to Nooroo. The kwami tried to hide his emotions, but the little creature was rather transparent for something so old. He was hiding something.

"What am I missing?" Hawk Moth questioned, looming over the butterfly kwami. Nooroo glanced to the side, just a flick of the eyes, but it was enough. Hawk Moth slammed his palm to the table less than an inch from Nooroo, eliciting a faint yelp. "Tell me." Those words, quiet and so intense, were a direct order. And a kwami could not defy its master, not directly. Nooroo bowed his head in sorrow, a state of mind he was now far-too-familiar with.

"There are other powers," Nooroo said, his high voice faint. He may have to obey, but he didn't have to make it easy.

"What powers?" Hawk Moth demanded.

"Different powers; different Miraculouses. Each has more than one power." Even in these dark times, Nooroo still enjoyed explaining; sharing his knowledge. It was why Plagg had so-often labelled him a "scholar". "As a _Chosen_ ," Nooroo stressed the title, of which Hawk Moth was not, "grows closer to their kwami, their life forces begin to … resonate. As this happens, they are able to more easily pass on their skills. This manifests in both overall physical powers, but also in new unique powers."

As Nooroo watched his non-Chosen mull this new information over, he couldn't help a little burst of rebellion. "You didn't honestly think Lucky Charm and Cataclysm were the only powers of the Ladybug and Black Cat?" he asked lowly.

Hawk Moth's fists clenched in frustration, but he held himself under control. "What other powers do I have?" he asked, teeth clenched.

"The powers you can use," Nooroo refused to call them his powers, "will emerge slower than others. I am not willing, and our energies are fighting against each other, which inhibits the process."

"You didn't answer my question," Hawk Moth observed. "What other powers? Tell me … NOW!" Nooroo flinched at Hawk Moth's sudden shout. It took even more force to get Nooroo talking.

As Nooroo grudgingly described a total of three separate abilities, each distinct from his power to create akuma, Hawk Moth's hidden blue eyes widened as a plan began to form in his mind. A sinister grin stretched across his lips as he remembered the new piece on the board. Especially at the sound of a certain "dangerously Forbidden" power.

"Nooroo, dark wings rise!"

* * *

Lila Rossi kicked open the door to her small bedroom, clutching her backpack in her fist. Today had (for lack of a better term, Lila prided herself on her vocabulary in any language) totally sucked!

Her chances with Adrian had been shattered beyond repair, she had been akumatized and beaten down by Ladybug, and to top it off she had been assigned a mountain of homework! Lila huffed and threw her backpack at the wall and onto her bed.

A soft knock at her door drew the girl's attention to a visitor. In the doorway stood a young man a few years older than her, with the same chestnut hair pulled back in a loose tail and light blue eyes. Their mother's eyes.

"What do you want, Carmine?" Lila asked lowly. Her big brother merely gazed at her with his usual stoic calm.

"Madre with be working late," he informed, before walking away. Lila barely waited a heartbeat before clenching her fists in frustration. Of course she was! That was the norm, not the exception!

When their mother had informed her and Carmine that the company she worked for was moving them to their office in Paris, she had originally been excited. Maybe that meant a raise, but it definitely meant a chance to get away from her school and the continuous line of cold-hearted kids who did nothing more than make her life miserable.

What their mother had failed to tell them was that more money meant even more time in the office. Their mother had always had to work hard to provide for them, but at least she had been home _some_. Now, they were lucky if they saw her twice a week, for less than a minute at a time!

That was why Lila had tried so hard to make friends. So that she could hang out with them and not have to come home to an empty apartment while her brother studied and worked his part-time job. And as to how she had gone about it, lying was a part of her (in more ways than she cared to admit to herself). Exaggeration was a part of her home culture, an artform that everyone participated in. It wasn't her fault that these French kids were so freaking gullible! And she had had a chance with Adrien Agreste, the super-rich, super-hot model!

Now she had no model-boyfriend, no friends, and her "stories" were clearly already crumbling at at school, which meant she would be ostracised there, too! The only teeny-tiny upsides to the day were the students remaining ignorant of her true secret and her akumazation.

Now that had been awesome! Forget a Miraculous, she wanted that again. The feeling of another person _connecting_ with her, the sensation of raw power flowing over her her skin and _into_ her, and the freedom that came with such strength! And Ladybug, that jealous, conniving, selfish _bitch_ had taken it away! Just like she had taken Adrien!

Lila growled as her frustrations mounted and collapsed on her bed, eyes stinging. She scrunched up her face; she wouldn't cry! Crying was for the weak; she wasn't weak. She clutched the foxtail necklace she had bought, the vessel that her akuma had rested in, and tried to wrestle her emotions under control.

So wrapped up in her thoughts, she barely noticed the sound of beating wings. The very familiar sound. Lila's eyes shot open and she sat up to see a nearly-black purple butterfly in her room, circling her. The mystical insect drew closer and finally landed on her necklace, disappearing in a burst of black energy. The Italian grinned as she felt the familiar presence of her savior.

' _Ms. Rossi, we meet again. Ladybug may have foiled us this time, but there is much she doesn't know. About me - and about you. I can offer you revenge on that miserable insect, and I'll even toss in a certain golden-haired boy.'_ An image of Adrien, smiling sweetly with that angelic face, flashed across her mind's eye.

"What do you want me to do?" Lila asked with relish.

' _Follow my akuma and it will lead you to my lair. There I will grant you greater power, the power to finish Ladybug and her pesky cat.'_ And just like that, the butterfly reemerged, taking the connection with it. The insect fluttered around her, as if urging her to move.

Lila felt grim joy rise in her chest. Revenge would taste even better this way. With that thought, she quickly snuck out and followed the black butterfly.

* * *

In the attic-bedroom above the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Tikki mediated on the windowsill. Her Chosen was having dinner with her parents, and probably far quieter than usual after her conversation with the Great Guardian. Master Fu was not an intimidating man, physically at least, but he had revealed much to her. It would take some time to sort through everything.

In the meantime, Tikki was taking advantage of the peace in the bedroom. She loved Marinette, the girl was like a little sister to her (in an impossibly long string of little sisters/Chosen) but it was nice to have a short break from the drama of a teenager's life. It was as she smiled in contentment that she suddenly felt a twinge of foreboding.

Tikki's eyes shot open in surprise. Something was wrong, would soon be wrong. What was Hawk Moth up to now?

* * *

Plagg inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet, stinky stench of Camembert. Eating it was the best part, but there was something about just smelling it beforehand that helped him relax. And when he was paired with a melodramatic, lovesick teenager, peace was something he really needed.

As the kwami of destruction opened his mouth to bite into his treat, her felt it. A warning, a flicker of tense stillness. Millennia of experience bearing fruit in a warning. Plagg pulled back, his tiny ears shifting as he instinctively searched for a threat. No … it wasn't here ... yet. But something big was coming.

In a wholly uncharacteristic move, Plagg put down(!) his cheese and floated over to stare out the window. What in the Balance was going on?

* * *

After a good hour of following the akuma, Lila had finally arrived at her destination: an old clock tower that had been cordoned off due to "structural failings". Lila shrugged and jerked open the entrance, allowing the butterfly access so that she could follow.

After an ungodly number of stairs, she opened the door of the top floor to reveal … penetrating darkness. Lila absently let the door close, and as if in response, a mechanical whirring began. On the far wall of the dome, a window spiraled open to allow moonlight inside, illuminating the figure before her.

Hawk Moth.

The masked man smiled warmly at his visitor, and Lila felt a blush rise to her cheeks. Whoa, what the hell? He was too old for that! Besides, she wanted Adrien! Shaking off her moment of doubt, Lila grinned and entered the moonlight to face her benefactor.

"Ms. Rossi," he greeted in a smooth, deep tone, "welcome to my humble abode." Lila glanced around them, spying no living implements. Clearly, he lived somewhere else. She looked back to Hawk Moth, her grin growing wider.

"So what do I have to do?" she asked. In response, Hawk Moth's smile faded to intense contemplation, his eyes roaming over her. Had she been any less secure in herself, Lila would have crossed her arms over her chest. But she wasn't getting any kind of pervy vibe from him (she had too much of that to last a lifetime), merely deep thought.

"Before we proceed, I need to know that you are … committed to the cause." Lila raised an eyebrow at that; was her hatred for Ladybug unapparent? "This process is … more intensive than akumazation. And far less pleasant." His gaze turned hard, like unrelenting steel. "How far are you willing to go for vengeance?"

Lila looked the ground and considered the question. She thought of her past, the suffering she had endured. She thought of Adrien, that perfect boy who could get her out of the dark pit that was her life. And she thought of Ladybug, the self-righteous, jealous, little … the very thought made her want to punch her in her perfect teeth!

Lila looked up to Hawk moth, determination and fury in her gaze. "I'll do whatever it takes!" Hawk Moth grinned.

"'Whatever it takes.' I like the sound of that, Ms. Rossi." Hawk Moth lifted his cane, beckoning the darkened akuma. The insect fluttered toward the head and disintegrated, the resulting essence phasing into the crystal bulb and reforming. The crystal began to glow. Hawk Moth thrust the cane into the air.

" **Emergence!** " Hawk Moth shouted, and the cane ignited with black flames. And in a flash, Lila felt him plunge the gem _into_ her, the cane phasing through her flesh and bone and into her … into her _soul_.

* * *

 **Sudden bout of inspiration produced this. Can't wait to see how it develops!**

 **What is Hawk Moth's new power? What is he doing to Lila?**

 **Leave a review if you like what you see!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

With the magic surging into his cane, ready to use, Hawk Moth flicked his cane to grip the end and thrust forward. The cane, spectral fire and all, phased into the girl before her and latched on to the deepest parts of her. The soul, the spirit, the essence, the life force; whatever you called it, he could feel it inside her.

With his empathic powers, a butterfly mask of light appearing before each of them, Hawk Moth felt her confusion, her sudden fear, and above all her pain. The unearthly energy flowing inside her. And he felt it grip at something, like the claws of a hawk gripping a hare.

"Now, open your heart!" he commanded. "Surrender to your Darkness! Relinquish your Darkness to me!" As soon as his grip was secure, Hawk Moth jerked his cane from her and stepped back. He spun the cane above his head and plunged the blackened crystal into the ground. He lifted the cane, the viscous black mass remaining, and looked up.

With his empathy, he could feel the change. But then, even a mundane onlooker could see something was not right. Lila was hyperventilating, every inch of her skin red with blush, tears streaming down her face. And her mouth was hanging open in pure ecstasy. She was trembling, her nose bleeding, her body unable to adjust. He hoped she did not die, truly. She was a worthy pawn.

As if reaching some sort of shaky balance, Lila's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed with a heavy thud, her body still trembling. Tiny moans and gasps emanated from her, even in deep unconsciousness.

The light mask around Hawk Moth's face changed, turned a deep purple, and he looked down at his handiwork. The mass of dark energy had grown, swelling into a huge bulb. A chrysalis, he thought with grim amusement. The bulb contorted, taking on the shape of a kneeling human being, before it coloration settled and it stood up.

"Marea," Hawk Moth greeted, "how do you feel?" The figure turned in the moonlight, revealing an entity that looked like Lila's reflection - in a cracked mirror.

"I feel strong!" she grinned. "And ready for vengeance!"

* * *

Wayzz snoozed in his matchbox-bed, silently at peace with the world. His master was tidying up, preparing for the customers who would come for traditional Chinese healing in the morning, both regular and new. Wayzz smiled in his sleep, dreams of the newest Ladybug and Black Cat bringing the corruptive Butterfly to justice.

And like a lightning bolt, that peace was shattered by a wave of sheer malevolence that drew a wailing scream from the turtle kwami as he zipped out of his bed. The sudden scream drew Master Fu's attention and he bolted to his gramophone with agility that belied his age.

"Wayzz! What has happened?!" Fu was more than willing to admit he was stunned by Wayzz's sudden shriek. He had never heard his kwami react so … strongly to anything before. Wayzz was trembling as he looked to his master.

"Master Fu, it's Hawk Moth! He's … he's …" Wayzz took a deep breath and steadied his nerves (or whatever kwamis have instead of nerves). "He has … enacted the Forbidden Power." Fu's eyes shot open, his skin visibly paling. Oh, merciful Balance, no! This was … "bad" didn't even begin to describe it.

Fu clenched his fists, mental gears turning as he considered this development. Considered the implications and what he knew of Hawk Moth's temperament. He tried to anticipate what the non-Chosen would do with this newfound power. After several moments, he came to a number of conclusions.

"We must warn Ladybug and Chat Noir," he said calmly.

"But Master," Wayzz argued, "we can't make it to them before Hawk Moth releases his Heian!" Fu held up a palm to halt the ancient kwami.

"He won't do that immediately. If Hawk Moth has shown anything, it's that he has an instinctive dramatic flair. He will wait until tomorrow, likely the middle of the day, to release his new weapon. A time when he can have all of paris see how strong it is. Perhaps even turn the populace against their heroes." … Again, he thought.

Wayzz considered this line of reasoning for a moment before nodding. Fu took a deep, cleansing breath, preparing himself for what was to come. "It is time to trans-" he bit back a groan at his twinging back, "-form! Shell on!"

In a flash of green light, Fu was transformed into the fabled Lao Wugui and hopping across the rooftops of Paris.

* * *

Marinette was putting the finishing touches on a new blouse, a gift for Alya, when she heard a familiar tapping at her skylight. She chuckled and stood, quite familiar with the sound. In the last few months, Chat Noir had been visiting her on his nights to patrol the city. While she wasn't entirely comfortable with it, her thoughts on her identity, she couldn't think of a reason to send him away that a normal person would use.

Plus, she had to admit, she really did enjoy spending time with him outside of fighting Hawk Moth's akuma or patrolling the city. Though she felt only friendship for her Kitty, if she were truly honest with herself, she might admit that if she hadn't met Adrien, she probably would have fallen for Chat (even his ridiculous puns).

Marinette lifted the skylight and gasped at the sight of a very non-feline masked hero. The man before her was short, dressed in what appeared to be a grass-green, skin-tight Chinese robe, a symbol in Mandarin on the right breast, with yellow-brown gloves and boots. A mask extended past the collar and covered his face up to the hairline, all but the chin and eyes. This was …

"Master Fu?" Marinette asked, eyes wide. The old master chuckled and nodded.

"Lao Wugui," he supplied before the smile slid off of his face. "Ladybug, there is a grave emergency. Hawk moth has discovered a power of the Butterfly that holds far more danger than any akuma. We must find Chat Noir so I can explain further." He turned, revealing the ornate shield strapped to his back. "Meet us at Notre Dame as soon as possible." With that, he leapt away, almost bouncing across the roofs of the city.

As Marinette stood there in stunned silence, Tikki zipped up beside her. "You heard him, Marinette!" she urged. That broke the ravenette out of her reverie and she nodded.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Chat stared at the new hero as they bound across Paris to the famed cathedral. Another Miraculous wielder! And he even knew about kwami! (After Volpina, Adrien had devised a foolproof way to test if a person truly had a Miraculous. He asked if they knew the true source of a Miraculous's power; it was vague enough to be impossible for a non-Chosen, but specific enough for someone who knew.)

As they ran, Adrien thought over how he had reacted upon seeing the, apparently old, user.

Adrien was finishing his physics homework, simple as always, when he heard a whoosh of air and a thud in his room. His heart leapt as he immediately thought of Ladybug, but turning in his chair, he was surprised to find it was not ladybug at all. It was … a turtle hero?

"Hello, Chat Noir," the Turtle said, his tone reassuring and serene. "You do not know me, but I know you. I am the one who Chose you to wield the ring and Ladybug the earrings. I am the Great Guardian, Master Fu. Or, in this form, Lao Wugui." Old Turtle? "Something has happened that puts Paris in far greater danger than ever before. We must meet Ladybug at Notre Dame. Come!" With that, he turned toward the window.

"Wait!" Adrien shouted. "Just to make sure, what's the true source of a Miraculous's powers?" The old turtle grinned at him and tapped a bracelet on his wrist.

"Our kwamis, of course." With that, he leapt out the window. Adrien shook of his surprise and turned to Plagg. "Claws out!" he shouted.

In retrospect, maybe he shouldn't have trusted this Master Fu so easily, but if his Lady was waiting, who was he to argue. Especially since he could see her outline on Notre Dame.

Lao Wugui landed with a dull thud, Chat without a sound. Ladybug turned to them, radiant in the moonlight even as a concerned frown marred her features. "What is so dangerous that you would transform to tell us, Master?" she asked.

So it was true! Chat carefully kept a straight face, but inside his inner-anime-nerd was squealing like a crazed fanboy. They had an old master! Like Master Roshi or the Third Hokage or Master Splinter! One that had Chosen them to face the threat of Hawk Moth and his akuma. He had always suspected as much, but it was still freaking awesome to confirm. The transformation around Lao Wugui faded to reveal a familiar Chinese man in a red Hawaiian shirt.

"Wayzz, my kwami," that last part was for Chat's benefit, "sensed a powerful-"

"Disturbance in the Force?!" Chat interrupted, unable to help himself. Ladybug crossed her arms, an unamused look on her face.

"Yes," Fu chuckled, "you could say that." Back to seriousness. "Hawk Moth has pressed a dangerous Forbidden power out of his kwami, Nooroo. It is called 'Emergence,' and the result is far more dangerous than even the most powerful akuma."

Chat chuckled, hoping it was a joke. Fu's level gaze told him it was anything but, and the grin dropped off his face.

"Oh, man," he said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"What exactly is this 'result', Master?" Ladybug asked. Fu regarded her with concern, thinking over his words before answering.

"The entity is called a Heian." Darkness? "And they are very powerful. They are as strong as the negative emotions that give them life, and will only grow stronger as those emotions grow. Hawk Moth will likely attack some time tomorrow, in the middle of the day." He looked at them both. "Be prepared, heroes. Have excuses ready and prepare yourselves mentally. Tomorrow will be a hard day."

Fu removed a pair of tea bags from his shirt pocket. "Steep these and drink them tonight. They will help you to sleep deeply in preparation for what is to come." Both heroes took a teabag each. "I wish I could offer more help, but at the moment I cannot. I am, sadly, too old to fight this threat. And I cannot explain the danger; you must experience it to understand it. Shell on!" Green light enveloped the old master, leaving Lao Wugui in his place. "Sleep well, young heroes. You will need it." With those comforting words, he leapt away.

Chat took a moment before glancing at Ladybug. "Think we should be worried?" he asked with a grin. Ladybug looked back with steel in her eyes.

"Considering he came out here in the middle of the night to warn us? Yes, I do." She unlatched her yoyo. "Be careful, Chat." She swung away across the Seine, lost to the night.

As Chat Noir rushed home, he couldn't help the dread wriggling in his gut as the gravity of the situation set in. "This ought to be fun," he groused.

* * *

As Mrs. Bustier's class settled in, the entire class was stunned by the arrival of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her presence itself wasn't a surprise; it was her timing. There was a whole ten minutes before the bell rang! And it looked like she should have slept those last few minutes … the girl looked like she hadn't slept at all last night.

As Marinette shook her exhaustion off and plopped into her seat, Alya watched her with concern. Normally she would be ecstatic that Mari had been able to beat her perpetual tardiness even once, but her BF just didn't look right. She seemed … tired, but jumpy. Like anything might come and attack the class. (Of course, given the last several months, that wasn't even close to impossible. But Marinette had never acted like this!)

So exhausted was the girl, she didn't even look up when her crush, the fabulous Adrien Agreste, walked in. Come to think of it, he looked little better than Mari. Alya briefly wondered if their shared exhaustion was connected, but cast the idea aside. If they had been up to what she was thinking of, they would have been smiling. Or something.

Adrien all-but-collapsed into his seat, for once not-at-all happy about being at school. As Nino took his spot, he glanced at Alya, who flicked her gaze over to Marinette and gave a slight nod. What was up with these two? Before they could begin to think of an answer, Mrs. Bustier walked in and began the lesson.

* * *

It was at lunch that Alya finally reached her limit. Ignoring the slimmer girl's protests, Alya dragged her to an empty classroom and fixed her with her trademark-pending "no nonsense" look.

"Marinette, what's wrong? You, not to mention Adrien, have been zoned out all day. Girl, you look like you haven't slept in a week! And don't even think about lying about some nw project or something; you know I can tell when you're dodging the truth!" Marinette's slight flinch was enough to tell she'd hit the nail on the head with that one.

"I- I'm just a little stressed, Alya," Marinette mumbled, her shoulders falling under the weight of exhaustion and guilt. The journalist's eyebrow rose in confusion. Stressed? About what? There weren't any big tests coming, Class President work was manageable (she would know as deputy), and Marinette hadn't mentioned anything else that might be stressful.

But Alya prided herself on her intuition, and she could tell that Marinette was being truthful.

"Stressed about what?" she asked, tone even yet concerned. Marinette looked away for a moment, her brow crinkling in thought. Seriously, what could be so bad that she wouldn't share with her best friend?

"Well-" Marinette's explanation was cut off by a slight tremble that ran through the school. Which, of course, meant an akuma attack.

* * *

In the same vein as his girlfriend, Nino used lunch to corner Adrien about what was bothering him. However, he was more gentle. He knew Adrien's schedule was insane. No matter how little he actually complained about it, Nino knew it could overwhelming. But he got the feeling something else was wrong.

"Dude, come on. If you need someone to vent to, you know I'll always have your back." He punctuated that with a soft punch to the shoulder, the kind that always perked Adrien up. But the DJ's grin faded at his friend's continued downcast look.

"I know that, Nino," Adrien all-but-whispered, "but it's something secret. Something … personal." That sent red flags up in Nino's head. Holy crap, he couldn't mean- it couldn't-

"Adrien, is this about your Pops?" he asked, gently to avoid spooking the blond. Adrien's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wha- no! No, no, no, Nino! Nothing like that, I promise!" Damn those green, kitty-cat eyes. Adrien was telling the truth, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Then what-? Adrein's eyes brightened ever-so-slightly, as if he were gathering himself, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by screaming and a faint shaking of the ground.

Both boys looked to the courtyard to see a dark silhouette rise from a slight crater in the ground. Oh boy, another akuma? But as the thing turned to them, Nino felt a wave of primal fear wash over him, like a deer being watched by a lion. Without knowing how, he knew: this was way worse than any akuma.

 **Lots of translations in this one:**

 **"Marea" is an Italian girl's name that means "bitter".**

 **"Heian" is the anglicized word for "darkness" in Mandarin.**

 **"Lao Wugui" means "old turtle" in Mandarin. I think that Fu would go by that even when young; to uphold the ruse.**

 ***For those Kingdom Hearts fans out there, yes this is a combination of Ansem/Riku 'unlocking' Maleficent and the creation of Vanitas. Those scenes are what inspired the fic; I thought it would be awesome for Hawk Moth. (Occasional bone-headedness aside, he's an awesome villain.)**

 **Leave a review if you like what you see! This probably won't be a very long one.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

After so many akuma attacks, one would think that the students and faculty of Francoise-Dupont would become used to the presence of akuma in the school. And to an extent, you would be right. But even with such repetition, it was difficult to completely get used to the colorful figures that would drop in and cause mayhem.

However, this time, they knew something was different. Rather than run and scream, all of the teens and teachers stood frozen, fear running like ice along their spines as dread pooled in their guts. The courtyard was dead silent as the figure rose from its crouch, eliciting a few quiet gasps from the students. The figure turned to face Adrien and Nino, and Adrien swallowed in surprise. His eyes told him he was looking at Lila Rossi, but this … this wasn't Lila.

Whereas Lila had chestnut hair, this figure's hair was silvery grey, matching the butterfly-shaped mask that adorned her face. Her eyes were burning orange, like raging fires. She was dressed in a pitch-black, high-collared dress shirt and maroon pants, with silvery gloves and heeled boots. And the feral grin that stretched her lips was directed at Adrien.

The Lila-like girl approached with sashaying hips. Adrien heard Nino gulp nervously, his grip on Adrien's arm growing slowly tighter. But to the DJ's credit, he didn't flinch back. The girl stopped less than a foot from the model and ran a finger down his chest with a purr.

"Hey Handsome," she leaned in close and fluttered her eyelashes, "any idea where Alya Cesaire is?" Adrien bit back a squeak of surprise as Nino pulled him back, shielding his friend from this … thing.

"Nope. And even if either of us did, we wouldn't tell you." Not-Lila's eyes narrowed in frustration. With a flick of her wrist, Nino went flying to the side, landing in a crumpled heap. Adrien gasped in fear for his friend, but the DJ's faint groan told him he was alright. Adrien gulped as Not-Lila fixed him with that predatory grin.

"Who are you?' he asked. If there was one thing he had learned from action movies, it's that you always tried to get the bad guys to talk. The girl, she had to be the Heian that Master Fu had talked about, smirked at him.

"Name's Marea," she said, "and-" She cut off as a purple mask of light appeared around her eyes and the predatory grin returned, somehow even more terrifying than before. "Understood," she said to herself and looked to the second level. Adrien glanced around her to find Alya at the railing, faithfully recording.

Adrien usually admired Alya's determination, but even he had to admit that she could be too brave for her own good.

* * *

Alya, to her shame, flinched back as the black-clad figure turned to look straight at her. She wasn't sure how she knew; she just did. This thing was looking at her! In a flash, the figure was gone and appeared before her, balancing on the railing with a primal sneer.

"Hey Alya," she said. Holy crap, was that Lila? "Hey, can you do me a favor? I need you to contact Ladybug and Chat Noir for me." Alya stood for a solid three seconds before anger blossomed in her chest.

"Why would I do that? One, I don't know where they are or who they are. Two, what makes you think they're not on their way right now?" That seemed to be just what this Lila look-alike wanted to here. She hopped down from the railing, forcing Alya and Marinette back, and folded her arms with an arrogant grin.

"True enough. Guess we just have to wait for the heroes." Hang on; did she just say "we"?

"Now, now, Marea," a smooth voice gently intervened, "no need to spoil the surprise." A whorl of darkness appeared before them and disappeared to reveal what could only be Hawk Moth. If the butterfly-theme and creepy mask wasn't a big enough clue, it was the painful familiarity of his voice. The voice that had whispered in her ear as it offered power. Hawk Moth grinned, malevolence in the very expression. "Hello, Lady Wifi," he greeted.

Alya yelped as Marea grasped her hair and forced her into a bow. Hawk Moth chuckled darkly as Marea let her up, a scowl on the young journalist's face. "I'm _not_ Lady Wifi," she spat. A force like a battering ram smashed into her, sending the girl across the hall. She cried out as Marea grabbed her by the front of her shirt and slammed her into the wall, a dark sneer on her lips and fury in her gaze.

"If Hawk Moth says you're Lady Wifi," the dark girl growled, "then you - are - Lady Wifi." Alya tried not to whimper, even as her body betrayed her. Mearea giggled, the sound oddly terrifying. The sound of a wooden cane tapping against stone heralded Hawk Moth's approach.

"Marea, kindly let her go. We need her alive," he gently ordered, the purple mask flaring before both of their eyes. Marea growled and let her go, allowing the journalist to collapse to the concrete beneath her. Hawk Moth knelt before her with a hollow smile. "I've always wondered why Ladybug seemed to favor you, Lady Wifi. She pointed you out of crowds, gave you personal interviews, and saved your life almost as much as Antibug." His grin became predatory, even more frightening than Marea's. "I'll have to ask her when I get her Miraculous."

Hawk Moth flinched at a whirring sound, an ear-splitting _crack!_ Sounding next to him. Marea stood beside him, a silver staff in her hand mere centimeters from where it would have smashed into the Butterfly's temple.

"You guys ever hear of stranger danger?" a cocky voice asked. Marea turned to see Chat Noir leaning against the wall, spinning his belt-tail like hadn't a care in the world.

"Lose something?" Marea asked before hurling the baton back at him. Chat had no time to react before it slammed into the wall not an inch beside his head, buried half its length in the stone wall. Chat stood stunned for a moment before his easy-going facade slipped back into place and he jerked his weapon free.

"Nah," he responded, "just swatting a pesky moth, is all." Said "pesky moth" stood from his crouch before Alya, a predatory smirk on his lips. The purple light-mask appeared before his eyes, mirrored in Marea.

"I'm certain you know what to do," Hawk Moth said, and Marea simply nodded. With a rictus grin she charged at Chat in a blur, smashing him into the wall behind him. Before he could recover, she grabbed his shoulder and hurled him across the courtyard with a strangled cry.

Chat Noir braced himself for impact, but his cat-like ears caught a familiar whirring sound, like metallic cord, and felt something lash around his waist; it slowed him enough to roll to a stop across the ground. Chat returned to a feral cat-like stance to find his lovely Ladybug standing on the balcony, facing Hawk Moth and his new puppet.

"Need a hand?" she asked dryly. Chat grinned as she leapt with a whorl and landed beside him, her yoyo spinning in preparation.

"From you, my Lady, always?" he replied, bracing himself for what was to come. Neither hero had a chance to continue their banter as Marea moved, a frightening blur, to land before them. And if her lightning-fast movement wasn't enough, the wide, feral grin on her face definitely was.

"Ladybug," Marea growled, "how nice of you to join us." Marea held her arm out to the side, her palm down. Both heroes gasped in horror as a dark fluid, like liquid darkness, slid in rivulets down her arm and collected in her hand. The mass grew and lengthened before hardening into the shape of an ebony sword, shaped like a Roman gladius.

Like lightning, Marea lunged, her sword flying. Chat Noir, out of sheer trained instinct, moved to intercept and caught the blow with his staff. The feline hero snarled in surprise at the force of the blow; he had caught it, but had barely been able to hold it off. He had actually been pushed back a few inches!

Acting further on his karate training, Chat Noir lashed out with his knee, striking Marea in the gut. He hissed in pain, the attack feeling like kneeing a brick wall, but it surprised her enough for him to push her back.

Marea slid back and leapt backward in a flip to get some room, landing in a crouch before eying her opponents. Damn it! She had hoped her raw power would be enough to take them out without much of a fight. But, naturally, they had been doing their jobs for some time. They had experience, which she clearly lacked. Even she herself knew that her movements were raw and untrained, made dangerous only by her innate power.

But then, that wasn't her only job.

On reflex, Marea lashed out with her sword to bat aside Ladybug's yoyo. Seems standing still wasn't an option with these two; she'd have to think on the move. Marea bobbed and wove around Ladybug's further attacks, grinning at the grimace slowly forming on Ladybug's face.

A fierce battle cry drew her eyes up to find Chat Noir flying toward her, staff spinning. She leapt out of his path to see him crack the asphalt where she had been standing. And before she could land, yoyo wire wrapped around her waist and she was jerked to the side to slam into one of the school's walls.

Marea growled, only slightly stunned, as she lashed the rubble off of her in a burst of debris. She gasped as she felt Hawk Moth strengthen their bond, her light-mask forming around her eyes. _Enough playing, Marea,_ he said firmly. _Crush them under your boot!_ Marea snarled and braced herself before rushing toward Chat Noir.

Chat had no time to react as Marea rammed into him, sending him flying with a bone-crushing impact. He actually hit the metal bars of the upper-floor's railing, leaving a huge dent before falling to the ground fifteen feet below. A part of him was thankful for his suit's enhanced durability; you know, the tiny part that wasn't aching all over.

As his vision refocused, he stood shook off the aches. Time enough to lick his wounds after this threat was dealt with! He only had a second to be surprised before Ladybug came flying at him, smashing him back into the wall and leaving a thick crack. With the ringing in his ears, he didn't hear Marea approach them.

With a sneer, Marea reached down and grabbed Ladybug by the front of her jumpsuit and lifted her up. She savored it for a moment before reaching, ever-so-slowly, for the heroine's earlobes. The spotted Miraculous were as good as hers!

Marea's hand halted as she felt Ladybug wrap her legs around Marea's torso; Ladybug lunged forward at headbutted her in the nose before flipping out of her grasp. Marea clutched her nose, dry of blood but still throbbing, and didn't see Ladybug's follow-up; she smashed her clenched yoyo into Marea's temple, sending the Heian to the ground.

When the stars left Marea's vision, she looked up to find the heroes gone. She seethed with frustration. And then Hawk Moth harden their link and his white-hot rage seemed to sear her mind like a branding iron. _Marea! I told you to end it!_

 _I got cocky,_ she defended, _but I'll be ready next time_.

 _Yes you will_ , he assured, his fury now held back by an iron will. _Because next time they will fight only on our terms._ As the connection returned to dormancy, Marea grinned. She knew exactly what her master meant by that. After all, these two weren't just Chosen. They were heroes.

And what kind of heroes wouldn't save the innocent?

* * *

Transformed into Lao Wugui, Fu meditated at the top of the Eiffel Tower, his awareness spreading slowly over the whole of Paris. As the Guardian of the Miraculous, Fu knew better than anyone the abilities of the kwami bound to them; each different, but many similar or opposite to each other.

Wayzz and Nooroo were two such kwami to share similar abilities. Nooroo was blessed with the gift of empathy, the power to sense the emotions of others, human and not, and lock onto them - to decipher and understand them - to allow Champions to harness them. He could ride the waves of the Unified human psyche and find the treasures that rested within its depths.

Wayzz had a similar power, though just as different as it was the same. Instead of emotions, Wayzz could sense the life forces of humans and kwami, sense their auras. While he could not locate the subject, like Nooroo could, he could decipher much from the limited view of these auras. It was using this power that he had sensed when Hawk Moth had first emerged.

And it was with this power, passed on to Fu through transformation, that they would find Hawk Moth's poor pawn.

As Fu's awareness slowly spread to blanket the city, he kept his senses open for something in particular. The use of Emergence, the creation of a Heian, involved manipulation of the metaphysical. A Heian was the inner-Darkness ripped from a host, given shape and allowed to act as a separate entity.

Within the soul, Light and Darkness thrived together and made one whole, neither one good or evil as so many chose to think. The Light was what allowed joy - passion - morality. It, in a way, was what made a person "good". The Darkness was equal and opposite, forming reason - fury - survival. It was what many viewed as harmful, but was really just as necessary as its partner. Without Darkness, a person would be unable to stand firm, unable to fight for what they wanted.

Like oil and water, Light and Darkness swim in the confines of a soul in a beautiful balance. But removing one, even to give it some form of independence, would disrupt that balance with drastic consequences.

Fu's eyes shot open as he finally found what he was looking for; an aura that shone far too brightly, to colorlessly, to be natural. He smoothly stood and leapt from the iron tower to land with a thud on an adjacent building, his path moving for that light. Now that he knew where it was, it was easy to find.

Now it was time to aide those he had Chosen, the best way he could.

 **Sorry about the long wait everyone; writers block is a pain! Hope this chapter makes up for it. And deepest apologies to those who have waited for an entire month. You guys are awesome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

On a rooftop half the length of Paris from Francois-Dupont, the heroic duo of Paris crouched beneath the ridge to catch their breath. Chat hissed, much like a his namesake, as he flexed his biceps. His suit had protected him from the worst injuries in his clashes with Marea and her clearly-superior strength, but he knew that he would be sore the next day. A glance at Ladybug showed that she was little better.

"How do we fight this thing?" Chat asked. Ladybug was silent, her gaze hard and focused in the distance. Chat could almost picture the gears turning in her head as she considered that very problem.

"Master Fu said she would get stronger as her negative emotions grew," she remembered, her skin paling. "That means the more we fight her, the angrier she'll get."

"And the angrier she gets, the stronger she gets," Chat responded. Unlike any other time, such a comparison did not help his mood. "So should we wait for her to calm down before we fight her again? If she cools off, she might be weaker. Or at least not as strong." Ladybug was already shaking her head by the time he finished.

"Her immediate anger may fade, but her hate will only grow. We need to finish this as quickly as we can." Ladybug lapsed into silence as she kept thinking. Chat took a deep breath, in and out, and in and out. His karate instructor had taught him meditation, a skill that he took part in as Adrien to keep his mind clear (or to pass the time during photo shoots).

One of the problems, among many others, was that they had absolutely no experience in dealing with a Heian. While that wasn't strictly true now because of their previous encounter, they were still all but fighting blind. It was like Stoneheart all over again; they were floundering to get their feet under them so that they could deal with it. But this was no akuma; they needed to take a different tactic for this threat.

The thought of tactics drew Chat thoughts to one of the first books that his chinese instructor had had him read once he had mastered the language enough to understand it. Sun Tzu's _The Art of War_. Apparently, his father himself had requested the book. Adrien had paid more attention to understanding the script itself than the lessons at the time, but he had a _very_ good memory. One piece of advice stood out.

 _Never let your opponent pick the field of battle._

"We need to-" Chat was interrupted by both of their weapons emitting warning beeps. In unison, they activated the phone-like features (strange that something seemingly so high-tech would be in mystical weapons thousands of years old) and homed in on the alert. Both had set their weapons to monitor television and internet news during their patrols so that they could respond.

What they saw made them both start to tremble.

Reporters were frantically capturing the image of the Eiffel Tower. Hanging from the iron scaffolding were thick strands of black ooze, like the fluid darkness that had comprised Marea's weapon. And hanging from those strands were students of Francois-Dupont. One reporter in particular had focused on the shape of Marea casually strolling along the tier where the strands were anchored, her gladius sparking as she lightly drew it across the iron with a fearsome grin across her lips.

Suddenly, a whorl of darkness eclipsed the top of the tower and faded away to reveal Hawk Moth. A familiar mass of black butterflies converged above the tower and writhed until it formed a much larger silhouette, a perfect shape of the supervillain. "People of Paris, deliver this message: Ladybug, Chat Noir. For every quarter hour that you do not face me and my apprentice, we will drop one of the children. Your time begins … now!"

Both flicked their tools closed and traded a mirrored glance. It seemed they had lost the power to choose their battlefield.

* * *

After a good twenty minutes of roof-hopping, Fu leapt and rolled across the gravel-covered roof of an out-of-the-way warehouse with a grace that belied his age. Taking a breath and fading into a meditative trace with practiced ease, Fu extended his perception. He nodded to himself as he sensed that unnatural aura within the structure.

After snapping the lock on the door, Fu leapt through the rafters of the warehouse. He was grateful for the dim lighting; it made searching for auras that much easier among the old shipping crates stacked within. Eventually, the Guardian halted with his eyes fixed on a much newer-looking shipping crate. Or more accurately, on the pure-white glow that seemed to emanate from it.

As Fu leapt down and began prying the crate open, he reflected on the unsettling nature of that glow. In all of his years as Wayzz's partner, he had come to learn that everyone, no matter how bland or one-dimensional, had color in their aura. Raging every color of the rainbow and everything in between, everyone had color. To have a purely black (as a Heian did) or purely white was … disturbing.

Finally, Fu forced the locks and pulled the doors open. He flinched back and covered his eyes against the blinding glow before releasing the transformation. The crate was draped with velvet around the walls, giving the inside a soft appearance. On a cot in the center of the crate sat a hospital bed. And laying restrained on that bed, an IV in her arm, a young woman twitched and moaned.

Fu steeled himself against what he knew he would see and approached for a clinical analysis. The girl, Lila he believed was her name, was utterly naked aside from the crumpled silk sheets that covered her lower body. Most of her skin was red with a blush as her body attempted to cool itself, her skin shining with sweat. Tears streamed from her eyes and her body trembled erratically, occasionally growing into full-fledged seizures that lasted a few moments before settling again.

And through it all she wore that haunting, open-mouthed smile of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.

Fu swallowed thickly at the horror before him, knowing full-well what was causing it. Without the Darkness that would naturally balance her soul, this girl was consumed with purely positive emotions. While many would consider that a blessing, as she certainly did in the deeply-buried confines of her mind, it was anything but. Her mind would begin to deteriorate, if it hadn't already, and she would eventually suffer permanent damage. As the chinese proverb went, "Too much of a good thing is a bad thing." And this was far more than "too much".

Taking a deep breath, Fu clasped his hands together and gently lowered them to just above his impromptu patient, getting a feel for her chi. This was something he himself had been taught by his own master, the previous Guardian. Fu had always had a talent for reading and harnessing chi, one of the reasons he had been picked. As he gracefully wove his hands over the girl, he could _feel_ the effects of the split. He could feel the intoxicating euphoria that wracked her body with genuinely painful intensity, feel the burning heat of her fever that defied her body's attempts to cool it, feel the imbalanced Light that threatened to burn away her mind. He drew himself out of the trance and began to work.

Fu removed the sheets from the girl with the clinical distance of a trained physician and began wrapping them around the girl, tying it off under her armpits and across her chest and hips in a makeshift dress. If he was going to carry her through the city, he would ensure she was as decent as possible in the circumstances.

Next he removed the restraints on her arms, Wayzz helping to keep her from hurting herself with the surprising strength that all kwamis possessed. He removed a length of soft cord from his pocket and gently tied her wrists together before repeating the process with her ankles. Finally, he tied the two bonds together; both to further restrain her thrashing and to make her easier to carry without dropping.

After checking each knot for security, Fu called his transformation and lifted Lila over his shoulder to begin the long journey back to the Eiffel Tower. The Tower sat on a nexus point of the Earth's lifeforce, acting as a beacon for the collective subconscious of humanity. Recent evidence was the high number of akuma battles that had been fought in and around the tower, a manifestation of that instinctive pull.

And that very drive would bring the coming battle to that ancient location.

* * *

Hawk Moth stood still as a statue with his eyes peacefully closed, as if napping, as he mentally counted down the seconds before he would "release" one of his hostages. Fifteen minutes; a full nine-hundred seconds. He knew they would come. He had pegged both of them, especially Ladybug, as full-fledged, sacrificial-lamb heroes from their first encounter. They would come.

Finally, he reached zero and a sadistic grin stretched across his lips. His light-mask formed as he connected with his apprentice. "Marea," he urged, knowing full well that she knew exactly what to do.

Said apprentice gave a grin to mirror her master's and stepped over the edge of the rafter, defying gravity as she stood next to her chosen victim. She was thankful to her master for letting her take her pick and had put a lot of thought into who she would release first. Marea grinned savagely at Rose Lavillant, the sweetest girl in their class. A light to everyone's life. But marea had no purpose for _light_. She savored the petite blonde's pathetic sobbing for just a moment more.

"Bye, bye, little flower," she sing-songed before slashing through the strands of darkness that held her up. Rose shrieked as she fell. The girl closed her eyes and waited for the impact. It came, but was different than she expected. Rose opened her eyes to find herself in the arms of Chat Noir, safe and sound on the grounds surrounding the tower.

Marea was stunned for a split second before she looked to her master. Hawk Moth, eyes narrowed in contemplation, gave the slightest of nods. Marea grinned and leapt off the Tower, ready to beat and break this alley cat and bring his ring to Hawk Moth.

As he watched his apprentice fall, Hawk Moth himself couldn't help but feel the tingle of suspicion in the back of his mind. Chat Noir was here - where was Ladybug?

As the citizens of Paris waited with bated breath for the fight between their beloved hero and this creature of darkness to commence, no one noticed a young girl board the elevator, a dark hood shading her fair skin and hiding her trademark pigtails. Marinette tried to center herself, to use the few lessons Master Fu had given her as of yet.

It was time to bring these monsters down.

* * *

Master Fu rushed across the rooftops as fast as his old legs could carry him. He had sensed the massive congregation of life forces around the nexus that sat under the Eiffel Tower and he knew exactly what it meant. Luckily, there had been no massive wave of sorrow, so nothing tragic had happened. Not as of yet.

Fu landed on a building at the edge of the clear ground around the Tower with a clear view. He centered himself and stretched his awareness to the Tower, focusing on the immediate area. He flinched at the presence of the Heian, her pitch-black aura just as unsettling as the pure-white one over his shoulder. And he felt the deep, dark purple aura shot through with jagged lines of blackened hatred and red-orange anger. _Hawk Moth_.

But he also sensed the soft pale auras of his Chosen heroes, their auras inked with red courage and silver determination, with green of life and gold of the sun. Their auras were opposites of each other, but they complemented each other in a way that few had or ever would. True partners chosen by Destiny.

Fu put down Lila and spread her across the rooftop, dropping his transformation. He frowned grimly at the paleness of her skin under the blush, her skin dry as a bone despite the fever; a sheer sign of dehydration. The girl was dying, and fast.

Fu took a deep breath, steadying his nerves and clearing his mind. He cracked his neck and his knuckles before spreading his fingers and once agains gently roaming his hands a hair's breadth above the girl's skin, reading and attuning himself to her chi. Despite his age, Fu had an acute memory, both naturally and due to the influence of the Turtle Miraculous. He synced himself with her unique flow very quickly, the cries of the crowd falling on deafened ears.

Finally, he felt it. The slightest flare in her chi, an echo of her Shadow as she attacked. Fu swayed with it, helping his patient follow the flow, to line up with the creature born of her Darkness. The corner of Fu's lip twitched as he felt her, them, begin to harmonize.

He hadn't been quite honest when he had said there was no way he could help. He couldn't help in the battle itself, that much had been true; he was too old to fight something as strong and fierce as a Heian head on. Besides, he needed Ladybug and Chat Noir to give it their all, to not expect help. But there was more than one way he could help.

He could, say, take a piece off the board.

 **A few notes:::**

 **A like the idea of Adrien's various "hobbies" (read: forced activities) coming in handy in his career as Chat Noir. [Some theorize that Gabriel (or perhaps his mother) influenced Adrein's extracurriculars to prepare him for heroics.] If you are interested in war or combat history, _The Art of War_ is a must-read. It's so well-written for tacticans and generals that it is still studied in military academies today! And I like the concept (and it is totally believeable) that Adrien has been exposed to a lot of Chinese culture during his lessons. Yes, Ladybug is generally the one who comes up with plans, but I think Adrien could do that just as well. **

**Even if he is the guardian, Fu is still a Miraculous user. I feel it is just as much his job as it is the others' to fight as a hero; he may have even been a full-fledged hero in his younger days, like during his apprenticeship (or whatever) to become the Guardian. And no one could grow that old without learning a few tricks!**

 **Last note, I love world-building! It has to be my favorite part of writing, on this site and otherwise. And Master Fu and the kwamis give me an awesome opportunity to do some serious (and quite varied) world-building. It's one reason I love the series!**

 **Leave a review, guys! Seriously, they are one of the reasons I get up in the morning! Is there anything you particularly like, anything you aren't so fond of (no flames please!)? The story will probably be wrapped up in one or two chapters, so give me some feedback! Anyway, stay awesome, everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Marea braced herself with a grin as she landed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower with ground-breaking force, leaving a small crater in her wake. She looked up at Chat Noir as the hero directed Rose to the crowd, his staff ready and his body set in a stance that just screamed "determination".

Marea focused on her sword, an extension of her very being as subject to her will as her own body, and changed its shape. The gladius softened and flexed into a long-bladed barbed spear, as black as pitch. She chuckled darkly as she spun it, testing its weight before nodding in satisfaction.

Marea rushed forward in a blur and swung at Chat Noir, ready to cut him from shoulder to hip. Chat, with reflexes augmented by his Miraculous, intercepted and caught the blow, a tremble of the air emanating from their clashed weapons. Marea disengaged first and flipped backward, taking her master's advice and analyzing.

Clearly Chat had had combat training of some kind before he became a hero. No one could pick up a finely-honed reaction like his in less than a year. But while he had an advantage there, she had one far greater. She was willing, more than willing, to kill her opponent and pry his ring from his cold, hard corpse.

Marea laughed as she charged again, swinging her spear in an unpredictable series of slashes. Chat's teeth bared just a little more with every attack he blocked, every ounce of his concentration used to ward off her blows. She struck fast and she struck hard, leaving no opportunity for him to counter her. Finally, Chat ducked under her next attack and scythed her legs out from under her, sending her to the ground before he flipped back to get some distance.

Marea leapt to her feet and yelped, bending backward to avoid one half of Chat's now-split staff as it flew toward her. She grinned at his desperate move and charged, relying again on her overwhelming power. Not three slashes in, Marea hissed in pain as something struck the back of her head, followed by a harsh grunt as Chat smashed his staff into her temple and sent her to the ground.

It took only a moment for the ringing in her ears to stop, and she registered the crowds cheering at Chat's counterattacks. Marea snarled and jumped to her feet before charging at Chat, her spear turned back into a sword. She screamed in fury as she swung her weapon … and grunted in surprise as she felt no resistance. She stumbled, catching her balance, and stared at her empty hands. Tendrils of dark mist still steamed from her palms and fingers, her weapon utterly dissolved.

"Having a little trouble, Marea?" Chat snarked. Marea growled and focused more of herself, this time into a bow and arrows. A warning from Hawk Moth given just after her creation about "straining her natural form" was quickly brushed aside. It was time to see just how quick this cat could be.

Marea drew back and fired her black arrow at Chat, eyes widening in surprise as he caught it by hand. And judging by his own wide, cat-like eyes, he was just as surprised as her. Marea fired again; different hand, same result. Marea grinned as she remembered her master's advice about their opponents' greatest weakness: heroism.

Marea drew and aimed, preparing to fire into the onlooking crowd. Just before she let go, Marea gasped in surprise as her muscles contracted, sending her shot high to fly above the crowds. _What the hell was that?!_ She thought desperately. That hadn't been just a random twitch. That had been … forced!

The Heian's attention was drawn by Chat Noir's battle cry as he flew toward her, escrima staves moving in a blur. She ducked and retaliated with the staff of her bow, but her concentration was fractured now. What in the hell had just happened to her?! In their struggle, neither hero nor Shadow noticed Marea's arrows slowly dissolving into black mist, the remains flowing on the wind all in the same direction.

* * *

Fu crooned a mantra in Mandarin as he focused on aiding the flow of Lila's energy, bringing back her meager balance after he had coerced her flow to throw off her Shadow's aim. In most of his patients, this would mean correcting improper flow of the energy that stayed confined to their body. This procedure, however, had an unusual twist. He was correcting flow _outside_ the body, returning energy that had been lost.

Eddies of dark mist flowed toward him and his patient, drawn to their original source; his own ministrations simply encouraged that flow, breaking down the Heian's constructs more quickly and drawing the resulting soul energy with greater efficiency. Fu breathed in as the first of the Darkness began to return to Lila, seeping into her skin like a multitude of gentle caresses.

Fu felt an immediate change in his patient. Her fever began to fall in the tiniest of increments, her labored breathing easing almost imperceptibly. But it was definitely a start, one that slowly built as more tendrils of Darkness returned to her. Her Balance was still far from adequate, but it gave her time. And it weakened Chat Noir's opponent; it made her more vulnerable to quick changes in Lila's energy flow.

Fu smiled, the expression both reassuring and terrifying. Soon enough, the dark monster wouldn't be able to resist the natural order. When she grew weak, she would need balance just as much as her Source. And then the imminent threat would be halved.

* * *

Hawk Moth watched Marea's shot go high, the movement appearing utterly unnatural. It was as if someone had forced her arms up at the last second. He strengthened their bond as lightly as he could, not enough to speak with her or generate her light-mask, but enough to get a sense of her emotions. She was as angry as ever, the powerful emotion restrained for now.

But underneath her anger, confidence and spite was a new addition. An undercurrent of uncertainty. Hawk Moth grimaced at that. Uncertainty and doubt had a habit of growing exponentially if not dealt with quickly. Like a wild fire, they took hold and chipped away at one's resolve until their performance came crashing down. It was why he himself always became so angry after his akumas failed; he burned his doubt away with anger, his resolve remaining untouched.

As he watched Marea once again engage Chat Noir, Hawk Moth gripped his cane tighter. A tingle ran down his spine, a warning of an imminent transformation. He barely registered a metallic whirring before his arm moved of its own accord, his cane striking away the yoyo that would have smashed into him with devastating force. Which left him open to Ladybug herself crashing into him and knocking them both off of the tip of the Eiffel Tower.

Hawk Moth grunted and issued a mental command to his swarm, forcing them to dive and layer under him to break his fall to a lower floor. Even with the swarm following their orders and his legs underneath him, the impact was still jarring. Hawk Moth rose from his natural crouch and forced his arm forward, his swarm rushing forward in a purple-black wave.

Ladybug landed with far more grace, her yoyo lashing out again like a striking serpent. Hawk Moth countered again, the Butterfly's few advantages revealing themselves. The Butterfly was not like the other Miraculouses. Even the other four Outer stones had some form of combat orientation. The Butterfly's combat prowess, on the other hand, was almost purely defensive. It enhanced reflexes better than any other and its agility was on par with the best. But that was it.

Hawk Moth was silently cursing Nooroo's lack of power right now. He bobbed and wove, dodging Ladybug's swings of her yoyo and lashing out at the attacks he could not dodge. He moved like water, fluid and untouchable. But he could do nothing to fight back, and eventually he would tire and make a mistake.

Hawk Moth forced his swarm into a smokescreen; he had to get away and think for just a moment. He leapt to a higher level and hid behind an iron spire, considering his options. If Marea won, she could easily take down Ladybug. If she didn't, he could use the last of his remaining power to escape. But until then, he needed a way to throw Ladybug off, to shake her up like the strung-up children-

The children! Hawk Moth smiled cruelly as he extended his empathic senses. Marea was weakening, he could feel that through their connection. And as she grew weaker, so did the strands of Darkness that kept the hostages aloft. In fact, he could _feel_ them weakening. All they needed was one last push.

Hawk Moth flinched as he felt Ladybug's emotions spike, even through the force that clouded her presence. She had found him. He jump off his spire as her yoyo came screaming toward him, denting the iron where he had been standing. As he fell, he focused on one of his akumas and sent them to the childrens' bonds.

As he landed and rolled to his feet, he grinned at Ladybug. "You had better check on the poor children, Hero." As if on cue, the children began to shout and scream in panic as they felt their restraints weakening, the waves of panic that crashed over him soothing his own fears. He smirked as Ladybug fought with herself for a split second before diving to rescue the citizens.

As he looked over the side of the Tower to watch Ladybug flit between the students and get them to the safety of the ground, he fought back the urge to grin in triumph. Ladybug may be distracted, but he still had a feel for his subordinate. And she was fading fast.

Literally.

* * *

Marea screamed as she lashed out at Chat Noir, her errant strike sending him flying across the grass around the Tower. What was happening to her? She could feel her strength draining away, as if someone were sucking her dry. Someone- Marea's eyes widened in fear as a thought crossed her mind.

The Heian dodged Chat Noir's incoming attacks as she formed a whip from her Darkness, lashing it around him and flinging him back the way he had come. As she flicked her whip back to her, she focused on the feel of the actions. Her arm was tense, far from the fluid grace she had come to know in her last fight with Chat Noir. Something wasn't right.

Marea expanded her awareness, searching for any odd sensations. Not a moment later, she felt it: her connection to her former self. It was … way closer than it should have been! Marea jerked her head in the direction she felt and snarled. Whoever had touched her, even if it wasn't her anymore, would pay dearly for their interference.

Marea ran, blurring across the square and forcing people out of her way. It was time to deal with whomever dared to mess with her.

* * *

"Master, master! She's coming, Master! We have been found!" Wayzz warned his Chosen as the old man focused on his patient. Wayzz expected his lips tighten, for him to transform and pick up the girl to escape. Perhaps even to bait the heian and allow Chat noir to strike at her back. What he never would have expected was the sight before his eyes.

Master Fu was smiling!

"Then it is time," he intoned in Mandarin. "Wayzz, transform me!" Wayzz was sucked into the Turtle Bracelet and the robe-like suit of Lao Wugui materialized over his Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. He could sense the Heian approaching with frightening speed. But combat was not his intent.

Lao Wugui knelt before his patient, syncing even more deeply with her energies as he felt her Shadow grow even closer. Hawk Moth had torn his girl's soul in half when he had forged her Shadow. It was time to save them both. Like treating an open wound, it was time to stitch her back together.

 **Last chapter to come! Thanks to any who supported this impulsive story.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Ladybug grunted as she curled around Mylene, cushioning their graceless fall to the ground. Ivan was quick to approach and comfort the girl, nodding his thanks to the spotted heroine. Ladybug nodded in return and flung her yoyo to retrieve the next falling victim. She wasn't sure if it was coincidence or her natural Ladybug-luck that kept them all from falling at once, and right now she didn't care. No one had gotten seriously hurt, and that was the main thing.

Ladybug grunted as she caught Juleka, the goth-like girl wrapping her arms around Ladybug's neck as she swung them to the ground. The goth was shaky as she let go, but gave a wavering grin. "Awesome," she chuckled, drawing a short laugh from Ladybug before she launched herself up for the last student.

She crashed into Nino, rolling and cushioning his impact just as she had Mylene. As she stood, Ladybug gave a sigh of relief at the last of them being saved. Her spirit hardened as she looked up to the Eiffel Tower and tossed her yoyo. She didn't know how she knew, but she was utterly certain that Hawk Moth was still up there.

As Ladybug landed on the viewing platform, she kept her senses open for any sign of the super villain. Hawk Moth always seemed like the kind to go for a sneak attack rather than the overt destruction of his akumas. Wait, his akumas! Where were-?

As if in reply, the swarm of blackened butterflies rose around her, lifting her up with unnatural strength as she thrashed in their grasp. Before she could get her balance back, the swarm parted and let her drop back to the distant ground. Ladybug yelped and swung her yoyo to land back on the observation deck.

The sound of the swarm drew her attention as it swirled in the distance, coming around for another attack. Rather than a fearful gaze, Ladybug smirked. She prepared her compact and leapt from the tower, swinging the glowing weapon at the swarm in a graceful and very familiar dance. As the heroine landed with a roll back on the deck, she reopened the compact to release a burst of snow-white butterflies.

As the awe from her actions wore off, Ladybug cast her senses out yet again, wincing with frustration. Hawk Moth was gone, probably whisked away by the last of his powers while she was busy with his swarm. The heroine's fist tightened at her repressed emotion before relaxing. She still had a job to do.

It was time for the last of this tragedy to be finished with.

* * *

Marea hissed as she leapt up, her trajectory bringing her within sight of her own body. Time seemed to slow as she took everything in. Her _former_ body wrapped in sheets, gasping for air. And the mysterious shield-wielding Turtle hero that seemed to guard her. Where the hell had he come from?!

Marea landed, skidding across the gravel covering the roof, and prepared her sword with a frightening grimace. Even weakened, she was more than a match for any Miraculous wielder. Hawk Moth himself had told her that. She leapt with a cry at the Turtle, her sword falling like an executioner's axe.

Faster than she could see, the Turtle's shield blocked her attack, a wave of force emanating from the weapons. As the Heian leapt back to prepare for another attack, she was surprised to see the Turtle stumble back as well, panting heavily. So, he was weak after all, she thought with a sneer.

But as she prepared to charge again, Marea gasped as her sword shattered in her grasp, the shards dissolving into black mist that drifted toward the Turtle hero. no , not to him; to her other self! Marea grunted against a wave of exhaustion that crashed over her. Her essence was dwindling, leaving her without the means to replenish her energy. That was the Turtle's plan! But Marea would never let that happen!

Marea formed a spear from her essence and charged. The Turtle, with speed that belied his apparent weakness, lashed out with his shield's edge to smash apart the spear tip. But marea kept going and slammed into the hero himself, sending both of them rolling across the rooftop. Marea kicked and sent the hero crashing into an AC unit, a grunt of pain escaping the hero.

With a grimace of fury and triumph, Marea blurred to the hero, fighting of the dizziness that came with the skill, and formed one last weapon; a sword to strike down this fool. She would kill him and take his Miraculous. Ten she would bring it and her body to Hawk Moth so he could once again unlock her Darkness and restore her full power. Then she would find Ladybug and Chat Noir and peel their suits from their hides before she took their Miraculouses as well!

So engrossed in her thoughts was Marea that she failed to hear the sound of her doom approaching. Not that could have if she tried; he was, after all, silent as a cat. All she experienced was heart-stopping agony that went beyond screaming as Chat Noir's silvery staff smashed through her torso and drove her to the ground right next to the Turtle, black mist oozing like blood from the wound. Mist that slowly returned to its original source.

"Time for you to go back home," Chat Noir spat. He lifted his right hand, the hand with his ring, and summoned his greatest power with a cry of "Cataclysm!" Motes of dark power swirled into an orb of sheer entropy above his palm, and his closed his fist to harness that power. Like lightning, Chat lunged to slam his hand against the back of Marea's head.

The Heian, to her credit, didn't scream. Rather, she gasped, her back arching, and relaxed with a calming sigh. The essence of entropy spread across her and broke her down to her most fundamental components. But no power, no matter how great, can truly destroy the human soul. Or even parts of it.

Marea exploded into a wave of Darkness that washed over Chat Noir and Lao Wugui before rising and merging into a thin cloud that began to return to Lila's body. Wugui stood with a groan and stumbled to Lila's side, expanding his senses to examine the Reformation. Where the Darkness was having trouble, he balanced the flow, easing its way back into Lila's soul.

Ladybug arrived as Wugui was finishing his work. He opened his eyes to find his patient breathing evenly, her skin returned to its natural olive shade rather than the sickly pale covered in burning-red blush from before. The girl was exhausted, and may have hazy memories, but she would be okay.

Fu stood and released his transformation, having only enough time to catch Wayzz before he stumbled to his knees. Chat and Ladybug rushed to his side to help him, easing the old man down. Fu hissed as his back began to spasm, his joints sore from all of this activity.

"I'm getting too old for this," he admitted wryly. Chat actually laughed at his words and Ladybug grinned. With a deep breath and the help of his chosen heroes, Fu returned to his feet. "I believe I will take the stairs to the ground," Fu said. "Can't have the Paris press thinking their is a third hero running about all of the time." Both heroes nodded in understanding; both of them had known that this was a last-resort kind of thing.

"However, they may see a few more before this mission is over," Fu commented, just loud enough for the heroes to hear him. The duo glanced to each other, silently communicating over the old master's words. When they looked back to ask him about it, he was gone. Chat's ear twitched at the sound of the roof's door closing with a dull metallic _thud_. Whoa, time out; how had he moved so fast?

The heroes attention was drawn away from that question as they heard Lila stirring. Both approached and knelt before the girl to help her sit up. "Wh-where am !?" she asked quietly. "The last thing I remember-" The girl's mumblings were interrupted by an elated gasp.

"Oh my god, you're Ladybug" she shouted. "And you're Chat Noir!" The girl's wide smile turned to a frown as she looked down at herself, and squeaked in mortification at her state of undress. She clutched the sheet she wore to her chest and she glanced sharply at Chat, the only male present, who pointedly looked away.

"What happened?" Lila asked. Ladybug pursed her lips as she quickly thought over what exactly to say.

"You were taken over by Hawk Moth," she decided to reveal. Ladybug hated to keep out parts of the truth, but it was best if she, and the rest of Paris, thought that this was simply another akuma, if a much more powerful one. "Chat Noir and I were able to free you from his control."

"Hawk Moth," Lila growled, "that little-"She continued to spit several words in Italian, words that the spotted heroine highly doubted were complimentary.

"Maybe we should get you back to your place, yeah?" Chat asked. With deft fingers, he quickly tightened all of the knots in Lila's makeshift dress before scooping her up and launching himself across the rooftops of Paris toward Lila's home, though not before the duo shared their traditional fist bump.

Nodding to herself, Ladybug swung herself toward the foot of the Eiffel Tower, specifically toward the cluster of ambulances that were taking care of the former hostages. Ladybug landed in the middle of the group of teens and tossed her yoyo into the air with a cry of "Miraculous Ladybug!" The yoyo exploded into a swarm of glowing ladybugs that rushed around Paris, repairing damage from the onslaught of Hawk Moth and his Heian. And fixing the minor injuries of her unaware classmates.

The people of Paris clapped and cheered at the familiar display. Ladybug took a quick moment to assure the people that the threat was dealt with and that she and Chat Noir were still up to any challenge Hawk Moth could throw at them before swinging her yoyo and vaulting away.

As the heroine swung back to her parents' bakery, a quick check of the school website confirming that classes had been cancelled for the day, Ladybug grinned to herself in triumph. Hawk Moth had sent his most powerful weapon against them, and once again had failed. Hopefully, he would just go back to akumas. And the irony in the thought that she would prefer akumas over … well anything, did not escape her.

But maybe, after this, the mad Butterfly would take a break. Wasn't likely, but she could always hope.

* * *

A furious scream echoed across a loft in Paris as a certain Moth-villain threw furniture across the darkened room. Safely hidden, out of sight and out of mind, Nooroo breathed a sigh of relief at the recent victory of Ladybug and Chat Noir. The butterfly kwami was honest enough to admit he was disappointed that he hadn't been rescued, but was also selfless enough to be happy that they had won yet another battle.

Nooroo gave a wavering smile at the thought of his fellow kwamis. Hope, a delicate flame burning in his soul, had wavered. But it still burned as steadfastly as ever. He would be rescued. And when he was, he would do everything in his power to nurture a new hero, to atone for his false master's crimes and allow a new Butterfly to rise. A false master that, if Nooroo was reading his emotions right (underneath the fiery maelstrom of anger and hatred), would be returning to the tried-and true-method of akumas. No more Heians.

* * *

As Lila emerged from her room, freshly clothed and shaking of the haze of confusion that had plagued her the last few hours since she had been rescued by Ladybug and Chat Noir, she couldn't help but wonder if memory loss of this scale was a side effect of akumazation.

All the fansites and the support sites for akuma victims agreed that victims had no memory of their actions during their "stints". Some even used it as reassurance that those actions had not been those of the victim, and thus not their fault. But Lila's amnesia had gone even further. She had lost the entire previous day.

Well, at least she had another chance to make a good impression at school. If anyone asked questions about her apparent "lies", she could brush it off as not remembering. Maybe, just maybe, this was a blessing in disguise. Just like her mother always tried to assure her. And she had been able to meet Paris' superhero duo!

Lila's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Her mother and brother paused in the doorway, their arms full of groceries. Groceries that fell to the ground as they rushed to hug her. Carmine was actually crying as he stroked her hair! Mother was thanking every deity she could think of, as well as Ladybug and Chat Noir, in breathless Italian. And through it all, Lila couldn't keep herself from breaking down and hugging her family back.

Maybe, just maybe, her life was about to get better.

* * *

As the sun set on another day in the City of Light, Master Fu and Wayzz meditated with identical faint smile on their lips. Even without Wayzz's aura-sense, Fu could feel the tranquility that had been brought by the destruction of the Heian. Wayzz, having that skill, could feel it even more.

As the sun finally passed below the horizon, both masters held out hope that, sooner rather than later, the world would be at peace yet again.

 **And so, dear readers, ends the brief foray of "Miraculous: Darkness Ascending". Sorry if the ending seemed rushed; this was always an experiment of sorts and I wanted to finish it off. Hopefully, it was a satisfying end.**

 **Since I never gave myself the chance earlier in the story, I want to elaborate on Lila's backstory that I alluded to in the first chapter. In this story, Lila and Carmine's father was a con artist and never married to their mother. Kids at her school made fun of her for being a bastard (literal sense). Their father was never around and eventually just dropped completely off the radar. I think this would affect any kid, and helps explain Lila's "tendencies" in a slightly sympathetic light.**

 **And in case you guys couldn't guess: I love Nooroo! He seems like a complete cinnamon roll, and like he loves to learn and explain things, which relates to my own inner scholar. I want to see more of him in the next season (which won't come out on Netflix until September - grrrr!)**

 **Hoped you guys liked this work, and check out my other stuff if you feel the need. As always, leave a review on anything you do or do not like. I always appreciate feedback. It nutures the flames of my creativity. You guys are awesome! See ya!**


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